Aintree 4.40 tips – Knight to come to the rescue of punters at 16/1

This is a hugely competitive renewal and given the race’s recent history of upsets – five 16/1 or bigger winners since 2006 – it could be worth trying to find another one here. Of those at 16/1 or bigger, none make more appeal than the Rebecca Curtis-trained MYSTICAL KNIGHT, who runs in the green and gold colours of JP McManus who bought him after he landed a hat-trick in bumpers at Warwick in December. His previous owner was very complimentary about him that day, saying: “He’s the best bumper horse I’ve ever had. To watch him jump a hurdle is electric. He’s a horse for the future and will be hopefully be a top-class staying hurdler.

It must have been a wrench to sell him and the gelding has already looked the part in a couple of runs over hurdles since for his new owner, showing great determination to win a novice event at Naas last month (3m), following on from a respectable debut second behind Open Eagle over an inadequate 2m5f. Both those runs came during a spell when the stable was badly out of form and, with the winners starting to flow again of late, it’s not unreasonable to expect the seven-year-old to step up again with conditions in his favour. Let’s back him each-way at 16/1 with bet365, who are one quarter the odds.